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Summerville’s athletic trainers, Coach Tabb, Coach Little, and Coach Church, work hard for student athletes to make sure the players are in the best shape possible. They spend every day in the training room doing treatments and helping athletes.

“I come in about 7:15 and open up the training room for treatments,” said Coach Tabb, “I then go to my classroom until 7:50, when I return to the training room to provide any treatments or injury evaluations. At the end of the day, we clean the training room tables and make sure everything is ready for the following day.”

It’s important for an athletic trainer to bond with every athlete they working with and establish the trust necessary to help them heal.

“Being able to watch someone that’s been injured get back out there to their sport, and hopefully return to the level they were playing at before their injury [is my favorite part of being an athletic trainer],” said Coach Little.

The most difficult part of their job job as an athletic trainer is dealing with an injury that could end their season.

“The toughest part is probably dealing with kids when you have to tell them that their season is over and some cases, when you are dealing with seniors, their career might be over because not everyone is going to the next level,” said Coach Tabb.

Depending on the season most of the trainers alternate days.

“Every single day, especially in the spring, we are very very busy,” said Church, “Luckily there are three of us because there are sports every day and we have 400 athletes to take care of. There’s always something to do.” said Coach Church.

The athletic trainers spend each and every day helping every athlete that has had a tough injury that can either end their season, or can be fixed so they can go back out and play their sport. Coaches Tabb, Little and Church are always willing to help students no matter what they are doing, whether it’s evaluating an injury, or giving a treatment like ice, taping, or being stretched.